MR Roads: Delivering construction services that go beyond expectations while building relationships that guarantee success

The quality of a product or service is one of the highest priorities in an industry like construction. Construction requires reliable, steady, strong, and exceptionally high-quality products and services to ensure longevity, security, and stability.

Creating high quality work that keeps the client’s needs in mind results in prolonged success and a company that has excelled in embodying these aspects is Mikus-Rolph Roads; their philosophy is to relentlessly keep their clients first, delivering every project up to their satisfaction. Their philosophy and quality of work has made them one of the fastest-growing 8-figure companies in Australia.

CIO Bulletin has the opportunity to talk to Daniel Mikus, Commercial Director at MR Roads.

Q. What led to the founding of MR Roads? What are the factors that have led to the rapid growth of the company?

Mikus-Rolph Roads (MR Roads’) was born out of the success of our concept business Pelly-Can Asphalt. Asphalt and bitumen construction typically requires large amounts of capital to operate (millions) – we started with only $100,000.00 in total (inclusive of plant and equipment). I had an idea, if I could leverage my commercial relationships from years of networking within the industry with some of Australia’s construction companies, I might be able to partner with a smaller independent contractor already equipped and challenge “the old guard” at their own game.

I met with James Rolph – owner of Platinum Tippers Pty Ltd at a local Starbucks coffee shop who I’d previously worked with at Boral Ltd. I laid out an idea with as much detail and risk covered as I could foresee and calculate. I asked James to invest in exchange for equity and utility of his contracting business.

I clearly remember saying to James “Brother, back me now while I’m nothing and I’ll put you in Forbes one day”. James invested that same morning, cash in hand. No further questions asked. We both knew this was our time, there was no plan B.

Q. What are the services provided by MR Roads?

MR Roads’ provides a variety of services specific to road construction:

• Full-service asphalt contracting (supply, deliver, and lay)
• Spray seal contracting
• Small works contracting (from potholes to emergency works — our nimble, fast-acting crews are on the job typically within the hour)
• Cartage: We own and operate an internal fleet of cartage tippers that we use internally and contract externally with fellow asphalt companies.
• Crew Hire: We offer fully qualified and professional asphalt crews, fully equipped with the latest equipment, to fellow asphalt companies.
• Labor Hire: We offer expert asphalt laborers to fellow asphalt companies.

Q. In what ways is MR Roads different from the other companies in the same sector?

Other than our exceptional track record of quality work, MR Roads’ striking difference in the market is in how it acquires and wins work.

We start our tenders with an in-depth analysis of our clients’ needs and objectives first. Every client is different, this step involves understanding the big picture of a specific project, it may be strictly financial or it may be assistance in contract management. Most of the time, it is reading between the lines. What’s not said is often what’s said the loudest, a blend of intuition and factual data.

With the understanding and set parameters of exactly what our client needs, we reverse engineer a strategy with a “fixed win” mentality. We then strategize a commercial plan to execute and have MR Road’s benefit mutually alongside our client.

We promote frank, open, and transparent relationships with our clients. This ensures repeat business and exponential referral growth.

The MR Roads catch phrase “Relentless Client Focus” embodies this practice.

Q. What is the role of innovation in the services provided by MR Roads?

The role of innovation is to ensure our clients develop a trusting commercial relationship with the knowledge that their asphalt subcontractor will deliver and execute as promised every time.

MR Roads is largely driven by repeat business. Client retention is far more cost-effective and sustainable than any alternative strategy.

Q. Would you agree that MR Roads’ proclivity to innovation has been a contributing factor to the growth of the company? Can you share some examples of this innovative process at work?

Yes! Without a doubt, it has been the major contributing factor to our growth commercially.

A recent project within Metropolitan Brisbane required our client to meet fixed lump-sum financial parameters. The issue was pricing and awards, which had taken place before the enormous material cost inflation of recent times.

MR Roads’ had 2 options:

1. Do as all other asphalt subcontractors would do: wash their hands, resubmit pricing to reflect this new price, and have the principal contractor lose financially.
2. Analyze the technical data to determine if alternative cost-effective materials could be utilized and perform as well or better than the original pavement design.

We were able to suggest variations of materials and offer huge productivity efficiencies that not only ensured our client’s budget but returned a better contracting margin than originally estimated. MR Roads’ also returned a healthy margin in the process.

Every day at MR Roads is much the same, with first understanding our clients’ pain points, we always try to tailor a solution that delivers mutually.

Q. What are some of the largest companies in the sector that have placed their trust in MR Roads?

There’s truly so many to name. Some notable ones are:

• CBGU-D&C Joint Venture: Cross River Rail Tunnel and Stations in Brisbane
• Visy Group
• JVL Investment Group
• Boral Ltd
• Pacific National
• Linfox
• MAAS Group (Austek Roads)

Amongst many other major Australian listed and private companies

Q. What are MR Roads plans for the future?

Plans are very clear and concise internally. With each step considered and calculated to ultimately list ourselves on the ASX. The skies the limit from there, MR Roads’ is destined to become a household name and major contributor to Australian construction. I believe what has taken our competitors decades to achieve as a major player within the construction materials market; MR Roads’ will do in a fraction of that time.

A brief biography of executives at MR Roads

James Rolph acts as Operational Director, responsible for the delivery and execution of work, including maintenance. James began his business career with Platinum Tippers, a single truck carting asphalt that grew into a respected name in the asphalt industry. He takes a unique approach to the way he works with clients. Instant rapport and genuine care give James an unrivaled edge in the client-contractor relationship.

Daniel Mikus acts as Commercial Director, responsible for all financial and contractual obligations, including acquiring work. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience within the corporate world, having worked on the other side of the client-contractor relationship. Dan starts with the clients’ objectives first and adapts to advise and facilitate their best options for success.

Jessica Rolph works in a key role as Administration Manager, learning and growing along the way with her husband James.  Jessica dedicates her career to providing a streamlined and intuitive approach in the office and supports the ever-expanding company as it grows. Jessica is a creative enthusiast who incorporates her approach into the presentation, problem solving and function of the company.

“MR Roads makes pulling off dream projects just par for the course. It’s the team you can count on for seamless project delivery.”